 By Pepper Parr
October 17th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
He knew his stuff.
He had done his homework.
Some of his solutions for the city were a stretch – some made you wonder if had had gotten ahead of the cannabis legislation.
 But during the ECoB debate when he pulled out some of the campaign material he used for the 2014 election – when he ran for Regional Chair – he was able to show that everything he said in 2014 had come true in 2018.
Does that mean he would be a great Mayor for the city?
Probably not – but Greg Woodruff has certainly made a significant contribution to the quality of the debate. There are solutions he was championing that were superior to those of Marianne Meed Ward who shared the debate events with him and the two other Mayoralty contestants: Rick Goldring and Mike Wallace.
He argued for nothing above six floors throughout the city and points out that no one ever challenged him on the position. The debate Q&A format didn’t really allow for much in the way of a challenge and for the most part the other candidates didn’t take him seriously.
 Traffic barriers in place on Lakeshore Road – making them wider isn’t going to do anything for traffic congestion. – more road just means more cars. expensive and not really used. The event was poorly attended. On traffic, which everyone agrees is a serious problem Woodruff is blunt: there is no way to resolve it. The 100,000 people that are going to be added to the population are going to have to use the already congested streets which everyone says cannot be made any wider.
Transit as the solution – difficult for a city council that has never properly funded transit and for a budget that is already strained – how much high than 4% annual increases can the tax payer put up with – to pay for buses they don’t want to ride on?
 Burlington with a population bigger than the province of Saskatchewan? Boggles the mind. Woodruff has the ability to make a point in language that can be understood – by 2041 the population of Burlington will be greater than that of Saskatchewan. Sort of puts Burlington’s growth in perspective doesn’t it?
Woodruff has a problem with the “I’m for reasonable growth” line being parroted by the other three candidates. They don’t define just what they think reasonable is.
Woodruff came to Burlington when he was in grade 10 – attended Nelson high school for the first year and the moved to MMR. Before Burlington he lived with his parents in Campbellville.
His graduate studies were done at Ryerson where he did computer studies. He earns a good living creating web sites and applications for commercial clients.
Woodruff sounds cranky when he points out that the current Mayor talks about the Official Plan that was passed and how it aligns with the Strategic Plan – but “no one ever mentions the impact of the Official Plan.” The public is told there is nothing to worry about.
The Planning department is already snowed under with development applications. Woodruff believes that once the OP clears the Regional government new development applications will come rolling in. He maintains there are property consultants earning a decent living telling people how they can get in on this bonanza – especially in the downtown core.
 The planners think many of the plazas in the city could handle a lot more intensification. This man with a lot of common sense doesn’t believe there is really vision for the city that has been clearly explained and that has the support of most of the residents. He wants to know: what will the place look like. Condominiums on every one of the plazas in the city?
Why is he running when there isn’t much of a chance that he will get elected? He wanted the public to be aware that there are other options – his six stories max for Aldershot is one of them.
Is growth really necessary? Woodruff doesn’t think so. But the province says we have to grow – “it’s all set out in that Places to Grow document isn’t it ?”
We can say no – we can push back – we can keep up the pressure maintains Greg Woodruff.
He says he believes in growth – we just aren’t doing it right. “I am the only person who is saying that growth is not the best idea.
There is a short video with Woodruff doing one of the Smart Car Coffee Confidential interviews that gives you a sense of where he is coming from. Worth looking at. Here’s the link.
Woodruff got 12,344 votes in the 2014 election when he ran for Regional Chair. 5,812 of them were cast in Burlington. He can expect at least that this time around. What if he were to double that number – and THAT is possible. He could make October 22nd very uncomfortable for someone.
Related news stories:
How Woodruff thinks he could become Mayor.
Debating the Official Plan
Getting back to good policy that respects the people who live here now.
 By Staff
October 17th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The city is looking for volunteers for Rogers Hometown Hockey event that will hit the city October 27th and 28th.
Rogers Hometown Hockey will be welcomed to the city in the midst of largest food drive campaign in Canada, the Gift of Giving back. Young Burlington hockey players will be canvassing communities to gather non-perishable food donations. Residents are encouraged to continue to give generously.
 The weekend will feature a ball hockey tournament, local musicians on stage, activities and will end on Sunday evening with an outdoor viewing party of the live Sportsnet broadcast of the evening’s featured NHL game with Tara Slone and Ron MacLean on site in Burlington showcasing our great city.
The volunteers will help with various aspects of the events being held in downtown Burlington.
There will be two areas for volunteer hours: waste sorting and popcorn distribution.
The online application form can be found at burlington.ca/hometownhockey. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 21.
If you have any questions about the positions available, please contact sports@burlington.ca.
For more information about the events during the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour stop in Burlington, visit burlington.ca/hometownhockey.
About Rogers Hometown Hockey
Each week during the 2018-2019 NHL season, the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour will visit a different community across the country with a weekend of free outdoor hockey festivities for all ages, culminating in an outdoor viewing party of an NHL game broadcast every Sunday, with Ron MacLean and Tara Slone hosting live onsite from the Sportsnet Mobile Studio.
The family-friendly weekend tells the stories of local upcoming talent and alumni, provides an inviting atmosphere for the community to come together to show their passion for the game and ultimately, celebrate the game of hockey which has been woven tightly into our great Canadian culture.
Related news story.
First news of the Hometown Hockey event.
 By Pepper Parr
October 17th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The Gazette has looked at the ward debates, attended many of the candidate events and arrived at conclusions in each ward. Those conclusions are based on watching the incumbents for more than seven years and interviewing most of the new candidates. Here is the way we think things will go in ward 4
What did we learn from the ward 4 ECoB debate?
We learned that Jack Dennison, the incumbent has been in office for a long long time; he said 36 years and two months during the ECoB Q&A.
 Shawna Stolte during the ward 4 ECoB debate. Many think his time has come. Shawna Stolte came to that conclusion and decided to run for the seat.
In 2014 Carol Gottlob gave Jack Dennison a good run for the money – a woman with little in the way of profile she managed to take 35% of the vote. It was evident there were cracks in the Dennison base vote.
Did the crack in the base change the way he served. Not one bit.
When ECoB set up the debates for each ward Dennison jerked them around. He wouldn’t confirm the date they had selected; said he didn’t know enough about ECoB. He knew enough to at least try and stay away from debate.
He put his opponent in the very awkward position of not knowing if she was going to have a conversation with the moderator or was going to do a Q&A with the incumbent.
When Dennison would not commit to the date that was chosen for the ward 4 event (he was given six days to decide) ECoB went with the date they had planned originally. Unfortunately that date was the day there was a city council meeting. ECoB might have been wiser to stick with the date that Council was not meeting.
 Ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison The ECoB people were never certain that Dennison was going to show up until he walked through the door. He wasn’t capable of giving the organizers a heads up and tell them that he would spend some time at the city council meeting and then head over to Nelson high school.
 At least he showed up. Jack Dennison with Shawna Stolte on the Nelson high school stage. However, arrive he did. No apology for being late. He settled into his chair and behaved as the amiable man he conveys to people.
Shawna Stolte did fine for the most part. Few knew that she was not well; she wasn’t at all sure she could make it through the evening.
She handled the questions put to her as well as Dennison did.
The bothering matter was the several “high fives” the two of them did during the evening. It is never a safe move to get to close to Jack Dennison – he will charm and manipulate.
It would have been nice to see Stolte differentiate herself from Dennison.
When Dennison arrived – a half hour late – the moderator shifted gears smoothly and reverted to the original format which was to put questions to the candidates.
First question was: What would you like to see city council do more of and less of.
Dennison said he wanted the public to know more about development applications before they got to the Standing Committee stage.
Marianne Meed Ward has been saying that for the past eight years and actually doing that for development applications in her ward. Jack had no problem taking her initiative and making it his own – and not a word of recognition to Meed Ward for the job she had done. Instead Meed Ward gets described as divisive.
 Shawna Stolte at the Farmers Market Stolte couldn’t match Dennison’s knowledge of budget matters but she did let the public see how she thinks.
She thought members of council should get out and meet the public much more. She acknowledged that council members have boards and committees they have to sit on and wondered if city council could not be enlarged by perhaps two members who would be Member at Large with no specific ward responsibilities but they would handle the boards and committee work: The Hospital Board, the Library board, the Performing Arts Centre Board and the Arty Gallery along with the Downtown Business Development Association.
The idea needs discussion and some fleshing out – but it has merit. Not bad for someone who isn’t yet a rookie member of council.
Stolte is basically a decent person; deception isn’t something she learned, listening is something she had to learn. Social workers make decisions about people lives and they don’t get the opportunity to correct any mistakes they make.
If our reading of the city is correct – the citizens want a change and they want their council members to not only listen but to hear what the residents are saying and to be accountable to them.
Burlington is so damned polite that they never say; Excuse me, that isn’t quite what I had in mind.
 Citizens often pack city hall to delegate and hope that they are being heard. There is a strong core group that has been very vocal – for the most part it is very active south of the QEW. There are people in the northern part of the city who know next to nothing about city hall. They willingly pay taxes that have been increased at about 4% every year and for some of the communities they put up with parking problems that are impossible to deal with.
Stolte is the only candidate in a one-on-one race with a long term incumbent. Dennison does not do well in the Roseland community. His decision to sever his Lakeshore Road property really offended that community – so much so that they blackballed him from membership at the community association.
 The second house built on the property that Jack Dennison managed to sever. Dennison lost his application for the right to sever the property. That didn’t stop him. He appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board where he won the right to sever and build a second house – which he promptly moved into and rented the house with an historical designation that Dennison always spoke of as a badge or personal honour.
The phrase â€conflict of interest’ is not one that Dennison ever really understood; he certainly didn’t abide by it. His Cedar Springs health club sold services to the city which put him in a conflict of interest which Dennison rarely declared. For Jack Dennison – he was just taking care of business.
 A portion of a recent newsletter Councillor Dennison sent out. A number of people have claimed that Dennison used city resources in putting together the email list he used – a no no in municipal election. The tone of this news letter is pretty defensive. At the end of the Q&A at Nelson high school the moderator asked the candidates to talk about their strengths and weakness. Stolte was as direct as you can expect. She said she was a social worker and active in community development because those two occupations spoke to her personal values.
Were someone to suggest at some point in the future that a decision she made as a council member was a conflict of interest she would be aghast. Openness and transparency are written all over the woman.
Being accountable is something that she will learn – it isn’t that she is not accountable – she is entering an arena where competing interests want her support. She will make wise decisions and she will make mistakes and learn that it is very hard to be accountable in the eyes of everyone.
Is she up to it? We think so; Shawna Stolte is certainly a far better choice than the incumbent.
 Jack Dennison the day he announced the sale of his health club – a difficult day emotionally. Dennison has made a point of keeping his constituents informed with his newsletters. He used to hold regular meetings at the health club when he owned it. Residents remember that. We recall one comment from a Gazette reader who wanted Jack to run for Mayor. He built that kind of loyalty and when he helped you out he let you know, and would remind you, that he had helped.
Being a city Councillor for Jack Dennison was friends taking care of friends.
If you live in ward 4 and haven’t yet voted – make some time to watch the video. You can skip through parts of it – especially the part where Dennison explains the way the tax rate is determined. Not sure he would understand what he said if he were to listen to it again.
The ward 4 choices are very clear. If the residents want change – Stolte offers that.
The 2018-2022 Council will be different – there are going to be at least three new members due to the Councillors Taylor and Craven retirements and Meed Ward giving up her seat to run for Mayor.
There may also be a new Mayor – Rick Goldring is in a very very tight race.
Electing Shawna Stolte in ward 4 would mean the new Council members would be a majority on the seven member council; something the Mayor choices would have to deal with.
There are dozens of news stories on Jack Dennison. Use the Gazette search tool on the Home page to find them.
Salt with Pepper are the opinions, reflections, observations and musings of the Gazette publisher.
 By Staff
October 16th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Mayoralty candidate Marianne Meed Ward issues a statement on malicious attack advertising.
“Our campaign, and only our campaign, continues to be the target of numerous, sustained personal attacks, lies and defamation, which are ramping up in the last week of Burlington’s mayoral race. The latest is a flyer slandering me while promoting the current mayor, and a series of Facebook and Instagram ads and videos which use the same slanderous content as the Campaign Research push poll in August/September.
 What has a flyer about the pros and cons of two mayoralty candidates got to do with a person running for the ward 3 council seat? “Negative personal attacks and smear campaigns have no place in this election, or any election, anywhere, against any candidate. These tactics divide our community. Every candidate should be condemning this appalling behaviour, especially where it is used to promote their own candidacy.
“The public are not fooled, and have told us they are in fact disgusted by this. We’ve been overwhelmed with support from the community, with residents contacting us to say there is no place for these tactics, regardless of how they are voting.
 “I want to thank the decent people of Burlington for calling for this to stop, and for rising above. Residents will cast their votes based on platform and track record, not lies and slander hiding behind numbered companies and anonymous polls.
“The smear campaign will not intimidate or silence us from continuing to speak out for reasonable growth, not overdevelopment, which has emerged as the key issue in this election. We will continue to advocate for our community and for better decisions on development with a new mayor and council who will work with residents.”
Mayor Goldring said in a news report that he was aware of the attack ads and was not involved with them or supportive of them.
The flyers that were distributed by ward 3 council candidate were his and his alone. Rusin has opposed Meed Ward for more than five years. He has used whatever electronic media he could find to trash the woman.
Running as a council candidate gave him the platform he needed to continue – his nomination became a megaphone to get his message out.
It will be interesting to see just how many votes he actually gets.
Greg Woodruff was very firm in his condemnation of the flyers, and the electronic tricks and games that have been played.
By Staff
October 16th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
 The Halton District School Board and the Halton Regional Police issued statements today that relate to the impending legalization of cannabis in Canada.
The Halton District School Board is communicating with families and staff and sharing online resources about the legalization of cannabis, which takes effect tomorrow.
Cannabis will be legalized in Canada on October 17 however, it will continue be illegal for individuals under 19 years to buy, use, possess and grow recreational cannabis. It is illegal to provide cannabis to someone under the age of 19.
This is the same as the minimum age for the sale of tobacco and alcohol in Ontario.
At HDSB schools, it will continue to be illegal for anyone, regardless of age, to smoke or vape cannabis. This includes:
• at school, on school grounds, and all public areas within 20m of these grounds
• on children’s playgrounds and public areas within 20m of playgrounds
• in child care centres, or where an Early Years program is provided
The Halton Regional Police Service announced a Fit for Duty Policy
Effective October 17, 2018, the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) has in place a Fit for Duty Policy that takes into consideration the impending legalization of cannabis in Ontario.
The policy states that all members, volunteers, and workers performing work on behalf of the Service must be fit for duty.
In order to support the safety and well-being of HRPS members, the policy also imparts a duty on all members to disclose if they have, or believe they have an addiction or dependency (to alcohol and/or drugs).
This duty allows the Service to connect such a member with a treatment plan to support them on their path back to wellness.
The Service has spent considerable effort in consulting extensively with police services across the country with the goal of developing a robust and sustainable fit for duty policy. This consultation included a full environmental scan of best practices and policies in place at other services and across a variety of public-facing and public safety industries.
 Chief of Police Steve Tanner says all police officers must be Fit for Duty when they are working a shift. “We appreciate that our members hold key positions of trust within our community and are given extraordinary powers as they perform their duties in ensuring the safety of others. While we respect that on October 17, it will be legal to consume cannabis, we recognize that we are responsible for ensuring that the safety of HRPS members and that the safety of our community are not compromised as a consequence,” said Chief Stephen Tanner.
“It is my expectation that when members are off-duty, they are not consuming alcohol and/or any drugs (including cannabis) or intoxicant in a manner that would render them unfit to perform their duties safely and effectively.”
 By Staff
October 16th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
We are indebted to CATCH (Citizens at City Hall), a Hamilton group that uses public documents to highlight information about Hamilton civic affairs that is not generally available in the mass media.
The extreme flooding accompanying recent hurricanes in the southern US carries a stark warning for Hamilton and other Canadian communities of increasingly severe rain storms. That threat was echoed by the province’s environmental commissioner in her recent report and again when she spoke last week. And it was particularly underlined by the frightening assessment last week from the world’s climate scientists.
Researchers have had time to examine what happened in Texas last year with Hurricane Harvey that dumped several FEET of rain onto Houston and surrounding areas. They have concluded that climate change greatly worsened that precipitation and made it three and half times more likely.
This fall more unbelievable rainfall volumes arrived with Hurricane Florence in the Carolinas. Preliminary evaluation indicates the amounts were 50 percent higher because of climate change, and that 11,000 additional homes were inundated because of higher sea levels driven by the same cause.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration maps show a vast area that was subjected to a greater than 1000-year deluge. Detailed information is still being examined on Hurricane Michael that devastated the Florida Panhandle last week.
Commissioner Dianne Saxe told a climate conference at York University last week that extreme weather this year in Ontario has already caused more than a billion dollars in insured damages. Even without uninsured losses that’s five times the amount in any year prior to 1998 and second only to 2013 when Toronto suffered massive flooding.
 A commercial plaza parking lot on Fairview could not manage the amount of water. Her report to the provincial legislature issued at the beginning of this month cites flooding in numerous Ontario cities including Hamilton and warns that growth in the golden horseshoe “combined with climate change, wetland loss, and inadequate stormwater management could dramatically increase the frequency and intensity of urban flooding.” She explains that “Ontario’s municipalities face a staggering $6.8 billion stormwater infrastructure deficit” and that “basic physics” mean rising temperatures pose a huge threat.
“In general, warmer temperatures drive higher evaporation rates of surface water, and increase the amount of moisture that the air can hold. Every degree Celsius that the temperature rises, the air is able to hold (and drop) seven percent more moisture, making storms more intense and severe.”
Hamilton has experienced more than 20 storms since 2005 that flooded homes. The most destructive was in 2009 when over 7000 homes were inundated, but the largest hit mainly rural areas in upper Stoney Creek and Binbrook in 2012 that dumped six inches in three hours and was categorized as a one in a thousand year event.
That was similar in uniqueness to the Toronto and Calgary floods in 2013 and the 2014 deluge in Burlington that flooded 6000 homes and simultaneously shut down both the QEW and the 407. Saxe reported that the Insurance Bureau of Canada now says one in ten Canadian properties “will soon be uninsurable by the private market” and that the United Kingdom has already stopped using public funds to bailout victims.
“In the UK they already know they can’t afford that anymore since the 2007 floods when they had three billion pounds in losses. That was the biggest destruction of infrastructure since the Luftwaffe,” said Saxe. “And they finally realized after several years of flood after flood the government cannot pay for everything anymore. But are we having an honest conversation on that? Are we hearing any conversation about it? We’re not.”
Among her recommendations is a requirement for municipalities to regularly update floodplain maps and conducting “climate change vulnerability assessments of their infrastructure as a condition of obtaining provincial government funding for projects.”
 The 407 became impassable in the western Halton Last week the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confronted the world with the grim news that the Paris Accord promise to keep average global heating to 2 Celsius degrees is far too dangerous. One effect of failing to do that is that the frequency of extreme rainfall doubles between 1.5C of heating and 2C. Even emergency cuts of nearly half in greenhouse gas emissions in the next 12 years won’t save the planet from catastrophic damages.
 It was a very local storm that dumped xx rain on the eastern part of the city with next to nothing in Waterdown. It was in reality several storms that caught everyone off guard. The full report says we have to end fossil fuel use, reverse deforestation and reduce meat consumption. But the IPCC’s previous predictions have mostly turned out to be underestimates and critics argue this latest report is subject to the same flaws. The summary document, for example, is approved word by word by political representatives. In addition the effect of tipping points and feedback loops are still not incorporated into the IPCC forecasts.
 By Pepper Parr
October 16th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
â€There now – that didn’t hurt did it’ is an appropriate comment to make to Councillor Sharman at the end of the debate that took place at the Halton Waldorf school last night.
 The candidates, all of them this time, listening to Xin Yi Zhang. The other four candidates for the ward seat showed up and did what they did at the first ward 5 debate that Sharman found he just could not attend because he didn’t know enough about ECoB, the grass roots citizens organization that is evolving into something that has been lacking in Burlington for more than a decade: a group that will help the public speak back to a city council that has not been able to both listen and hear what the people of the city want.
The evening was for the people in the Orchard community, a part of the city that is rich with schools but poor when it comes to parks and places for children to play.
 It was planned as a community that would be serviced by state of the art transit – that never happened and now they have to cope with serious parking problems. The less than 200 people that attended were typical Burlington polite and none of the candidates pulled a gaff they couldn’t recover from.
 Ward 5 public school board trustee Amy Collard moderated the Q&A sessions. Traffic congestion and better facilities for the children were top of mind. The question and answer sessions were moderated by Amy Collard, the ward 5 school board trustees who did say at one point that she understood how hard elections were. Ms Collard has never really fought an election – she has always been acclaimed and has served her constituents better than any other school board trustee.
A number of interesting facts came to the surface. The Orchard doesn’t have even one city facility. It has a parking problem that is structural. When the community was being built the plan was to include a state of the art transit service that would serve the community.
The houses got built – the buses never arrived.
 Candidate Mary Alice St. James was the only one who came close to holding the incumbent accountable. While the event was supposed to focus on the Orchard, the plans to re-develop the Lakeside Plaza got a fair share of the time. Too big, and nothing for the residents was the complaint. The developer wants 900 units, candidate Mary Alice St. James wants to see that cut back to 300 – and forget about the idea of 18 storey building at the edge of Lakeshore Road.
 Councillor Sharman, expecting to be re-elected, got through the Orchard Q&A. Getting through the election is another matter. Councillor Sharman did explain that what the public has seen is what the developer is proposing.
The city has to accept every proposal put in front of them. Planning staff then come up with a recommendation for city council.
Sharman let the room know that he expected to be the council member who would be part of the council that decides. He said that the staff recommendation would get to council in March of next year– but that could be May or June.
There will be at least one more community meeting and then the Statutory public meeting and then to Council – the public could see something in the way of a decision in the summer – which will not keep anyone happy.
Of the less than 200 people in the room – the vast majority were supporters of one candidate or another. There weren’t very many undecided voters in the room.
What was evident is that the Orchard has a focal point – a Facebook page with more than 2000 followers.
This community has found a way to keep in touch.
 Glenda Carver was called the “Mayor of the Orchard” – they got that one right. Glenda Carver, the woman who organized the event and runs the Facebook page got described as the “Mayor” of the Orchard.
Mary Alice St. James described the Orchard as school rich and park poor. He comments were the liveliest made during the evening – there was a point at which it looked like she had Councillor Sharman on the ropes but she didn’t follow through. Halfway through the evening it was clear that no one was going to lay a glove on Sharman. He made it through another round.
 Daniel Roukema gave the word “collaborate” a solid workout in his closing remarks. Van he walk that talk? He added that he “really wanted the job” Daniel Roukema has proven to be a strong campaigner. Had he started earlier and had the residents seen him at city council meetings delegating on their behalf he could have been a contender. His financial baggage and legal claims will get in the way of his being able to be an effective member of Council. His working style lacks the collaboration he mentioned seven times in his closing remarks.
Xin Yi Zhang, a kind, quiet gentle man working in the financial sector as an IT specialist, while also working on a doctorate said he knew about traffic congestion. He had been struck by cars on more than two occasions. He uses local transit to get to the GO station; the man certainly walks the talk when it comes to transit.
What was really interesting is that the Orchard community had plenty of asks – all of which are going to cost. Not one word or question about the 4% + tax increases the city has levied.
In 2011 there was a 0% tax increase and it was Paul Sharman who made that happen.
 Wendy Moraghan; an all in Burlington girl – Teen Tour Band, Pinedale school, Nelson high school and 30 years with the police force. Is a Council seat next? Wendy Moraghan admitted that she tended to bring a police service spin to her candidacy; she saw community safety as what results in the quality of life everyone enjoys in Burlington.
She made a telling remark when she explained that the bus that used to run along Spruce – and past the Council members house – doesn’t operate anymore.
The excellent idea that came out of Oakville – to let seniors use the bus free on Mondays – didn’t get approved at council. Councillor Sharman said he needed more data before he could vote for the idea.
 It really was an Orchard at one point – one of the best in the province. What it wants now is a swimming pool – they would settle for some splash pads. What the Orchard showed the community is that it has learned how to communicate amongst themselves – now let’s see who they choose to represent their interests at city hall. The ward 5 election race is going to be one of the most interesting races in the city. The tone of the city council in place on December 3rd when they are sworn in will be determined by the quality of the candidates.
By Staff
October 16th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison, who is in a tight race for his council seat knows the election rules of engagement better than anyone else running for office this time around.
 Jack Dennison, ward 4 Councillor Nevertheless he chose to use an email list that was his as a member of council – but not something he can use in an election.
He got caught doing just that and his opponent Shawna Stolte took a formal complaint to the Clerk’s office.
October 15, 2018
Lisa Palermo, Elections Officer
City of Burlington
Hello Lisa,
I am requesting an investigation into the email titled:
From: Councillor Jack Dennison <jack@jackdennison.ca>
Date: October 12, 2018 at 4:18:01 PM EDT
Subject: Advance Polls Open Saturday
I has come to my attention over the past 48 hours that this email was received by dozens of Ward 4 residents who have come forward to advise me that they never gave their email to Jack Dennison for the purposes of receiving election propaganda and that the only way Jack Dennison would have access to their personal emails was if he were to have used the contact list developed utilizing corporate resources or through his contact in his Member of Council’s role.
It is my understanding from the Use of Corporate Resources Policy that the following is true,
“Distribution lists or contact lists developed utilizing corporate resources or through contact in a Member of Council’s role shall not be utilized for election purposes.”
For a sitting Councillor to knowingly contravene the Use of Corporate Resources Policy as well as breach the Privacy Policy in in order to achieve an unfair advantage in the election process is of very disturbing concern. I use the term “knowingly contravene” with confidence as it is clear that City Council reviewed this particular policy on October 30, 2017.
The gravity of the situation is quite serious as the Ward 4 Newsletter email list that I believe Jack Dennison either used, or copied to use under his personal email address, reaches 4000 (over 30%) of the households in Ward 4. This reach is considered accurate as the number is a direct quote from Jack Dennison’s campaign materials.
I am requesting two courses of action to rectify this serious breach of ethics on Jack Dennison’s part.
1. The Elections Clerk demand that Jack Dennison send an immediate apology to the same email contact list that received the October 12, 2018 email and such an email would have to meet the following criteria:
• Would be sent no later than 4pm on Tuesday, October
16 (before the next Advance Poll Date)
• It would contain a subject line that refers only to the previous spam email, such as “Apology for my email of October 12.”
• It would not reprint the objectionable email.
• It would contain only the apology and an admission of knowing misuse of Corporate Resources,
• as well as an acknowledgement that the Oct. 12 email was sent to recipients who did not sign up for emails from his campaign and may have been based on his official Ward 4 newsletter email list
• and would promise that no further emails will be sent to any recipient who had not specifically signed up on his website or a signup sheet to receive campaign emails.
• Jack Dennison would provide a copy of the Recipients List of both the October 12 email as well as the new email to prove the lists are the same and I would receive confirmation of both.
 Shawna Stolte, ward 4 candidiate. 2. Following receipt of the above, the Elections Clerk issue an immediate Cease and Desist Order to Jack Dennison in regard to emailing election materials to residents who did not directly agree to receive information in regard to his re-election.
I look forward to your prompt attention to this matter and I will bring a printed and signed copy of this letter to Burlington City Hall for your records.
Thank you,
Shawna Stolte
Candidate for City Council – Ward 4
Burlington, Ontario
Let’s see what she gets at 4:00 pm.
 By Staff
October 15th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
As of October 17, 2018, the legislation that governs the possession, consumption, sale and cultivation of cannabis will be substantially changing.
The Halton Regional Police Service has collaborated closely with our Municipal and Regional partners to ensure a consistent service delivery response for members of the public, in all areas of the Region, once cannabis becomes legalized.
We recognize that after October 17, there will be a period of transition and social adjustment that will require flexibility and consideration as the community, the Service and the Courts react to the new laws.
Enforcement Role of the Halton Regional Police Service
The Halton Regional Police Service remains committed to the safety and well-being of our community.
In this regard, the Service will continue to respond to and investigate complaints involving:
• The alleged illegal sale and distribution of cannabis, particularly occurrences involving the sale of cannabis to youth;
• Incidents of drug-impaired driving;
• Youth (under the age of 19) who are possibly possessing or consuming cannabis, regardless of the location; and
• Cannabis consumption in a motor vehicle or on a vessel (boat).
The Halton Regional Police Service will not be responding to incidents where the sole complaint is that of nuisance cannabis smoke or cannabis consumption not involving youth or a motor vehicle/boat.
The Halton Region Health Department will be responsible for enforcing requirements of the amended Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017, which is expected to come into force on October 17, 2018. The Act would prohibit the smoking of cannabis in the same places where the smoking of tobacco is prohibited. These places include enclosed workplaces, enclosed public places and other specified places such as school property, recreational facilities, sports fields, children’s playgrounds, hospital grounds and restaurant patios.
Halton residents who wish to report complaints about cannabis use in prohibited places that don’t involve youth or a motor vehicle are directed to contact the Halton Region Health Department at 311.
Where Can Residents Access Additional Information
If you wish to learn more about the new legislation, please refer to our Cannabis Resources on our website. We have included information about the consumption, sale, possession and cultivation of cannabis, as well as the detection and enforcement of drug-impaired driving. For your convenience, there is also a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page where you can find answers to common questions.
How Can Residents Navigate Cannabis-Related Conflict
We understand that the legalization of cannabis may cause conflict in the community.
It is important that our residents know that once legislation is in place, there is no lawful authority for our officers to respond to complaints regarding nuisance cannabis smoke. If you are concerned about nuisance cannabis smoke (for example your neighbor is smoking cannabis on their deck and you can smell it in your backyard), we would encourage you to engage in a respectful conversation with the person or ask for the assistance of a third party (another neighbor).
We ask that members of the community remain patient and respectful, particularly in the period of transition after cannabis is legalized.
Commitment to Consistency
We anticipate that members of our community will be reaching out with questions and complaints regarding cannabis once it is legalized. We have provided enhanced training to our call takers and dispatchers in our Communications Bureau, and have collaborated diligently with our Municipal and Regional partners to ensure that you get consistent responses, regardless of where you direct your inquiry.
 We are going to have to get used to the stuff. Legislative Summary
Two new pieces of legislation come into effect on October 17, 2018.
The Federal Cannabis Act — this piece of legislation decriminalizes the possession and cultivation of cannabis for personal use in Canada. The Act has defined legal possession levels for the various forms that cannabis can take (i.e. seeds, dried cannabis, fresh plants). However, the Act also creates a series of criminal offences for unlawful possession, trafficking, and cultivation.
The Cannabis Control Act, 2017 — this new legislation will govern where and how individuals can purchase, transport and consume cannabis in the Province of Ontario. This new act is very similar in terms of wordings and authorities to the Liquor Licence Act. The new act defines the legal age for possession of cannabis (in Ontario) as 19 years of age or older. The Act also includes some offences relating to sale and distribution of cannabis. Those who commit offences under this act will receive Provincial Offence Notices with a set fine, or be summonsed to appear in court if the charge is more serious.
In addition, the amended Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 is expected to come into effect on October 17, 2018. This legislation would prohibit the smoking of cannabis in the same places where the smoking of tobacco is prohibited.
Please direct any inquiries to Inspector Kevin Maher at kevin.maher@haltonpolice.ca.
By Staff
October 15th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Headline has been revised after details supplied by City Clerk/Returning Officer
Mark Gillies, a frequent contributor to the Gazette had a problem when he went online to vote.
 “My wife and I tried online voting this morning. It was unsuccessful. We followed the entire procedure successfully, right up until a PIN number was to be emailed to each of us from the city. Usually, something like this would be sent immediately, but in this case we’ve waited patiently for over half an hour, and still nothing has been sent.
“I’m wondering if other residents of Burlington have been facing the same problem. If they are, then this whole online voting is a complete waste of time and a big embarrassment for the City of Burlington.”
City Clerk and Returning Officer for the municipal election Angela Morgan has advised us that “there are absolutely no problems with internet voting.  As we have stated in all of our materials, it can take up to 24 hours to receive your PIN.
“There are a number of security measures in the background that need to be verified before a PIN in released. Also, in some cases, the PIN e-mail has gone into the SPAM folder in voter’s inbox which is based on the settings with their providers.
 City Clerk Angela Morgan signing the 2010 election returns. That was an easy election – the 2018 event is turning out to be a much more boisterous event. “We have staff assisting any voter that is having issues or have not received their PIN after 24 hours – from my count a very small number of people have not received their PIN after 24 hours and in the majority of cases it has to do with their e-mail provider.”
If you need help – call the city at 905-335-7600. The city clerk advises that 9,000 people have registered to vote online and the majority of those have cast their ballots.
Gillies pointed out that “younger voters would prefer online voting rather than taking the time to line up at a polling station. How many of these younger voters might just not bother to vote at a polling station then? I wonder if this apparent screw up would favour, or harm any of the candidates.”
Gillies adds that this is “such a decisive election” every vote needs to be counted properly.
Gilles wrote a series of articles on the people who built the city we have today. His series on Spencer Smith were exceptional.
By Pepper Parr
October 15th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Part 4 of a series
Let’s review the facts we have so far.
In the fall of 2016, the city administration claims there were complaints about my behavior with female staff at city hall.
They do not ask me to come into city hall and discuss that behavior.
They hire an independent investigator who interviews some people. I have no idea who those people are.
I am not interviewed. A report is prepared and presented to city council in a Closed Session believed to have taken place between August 25th and November 16th, 2016.
 Burlington city manager James Ridge now in the fourth year of a five year contract. On November 17th of 2016 James Ridge City manager asks to meet with me. I assume there is going to be an interview. When I inquire as to what we will be discussing Ridge doesn’t say. He then sends me a letter via email which set out and advises me that the city is using the Trespass Act to prevent me from entering city hall or Sims Square. If I want to enter city hall I must be escorted by security personnel.
I am apparently allowed to enter other city buildings, the Transit offices, the Roads and Park Maintenance office. I choose not to enter any city premises. The details of this first ban are set out in part 3 of this series.
There is more detail on part 3 of this series – the link to that is at the bottom of this article
I meet with an individual who has served in municipal administrations in very senior positions and asked what he would have done if he had faced this kind of a situation that involved me. The response was: We would have met with you, described the behavior and cautioned you. I meet with this person, someone I have known for more than a decade, on a number of occasions.
It takes a full year for all this to play itself out.
The first banning was for a period of a year after which it was to be reviewed. That review would have been sometime after November 20th 2017
 Mary Lou Tanner came to Burlington as the Director of Planning and promoted to Deputy city manager sometime later. In July of 2017 I take part in a walking tour of John Street with City planner Mary Lou Tanner and staff planner Charles Mulay. The tour lasted about an hour. The conversation was amiable; I learn how planners take a longer look at a part of the city that is undergoing change.
The story on that tour is published in the Gazette on July 17th.
The Grow Bold Plan the Planning department has released in being discussed publicly – there are numerous city sponsored meetings. I am in touch with planning staff by telephone continually for follow up questions.
 Planning department staff at a public meeting. Some of the staff appear to be uncomfortable with what they can tell me. On a few occasions staff suggest I clear the request with Tanner.
Tanner and I come to an agreement that I will ask my questions of staff electronically and copy Tanner on all the requests for information.
I was beginning to feel that the city really just wanted to restrict my access to information that any journalist is entitled to. The role of a journalist is to ask questions.
On October 30th 2017, the date is critical – it is the day before Halloween. I send Mary Lou Tanner an email – when she can be available for a phone call. I get one of those “out of the office” responses.
Later that same evening of October 30th, 2017 at 6:47 pm I send Tanner a note. At the bottom of the note there is an emoji, which in my world signifies that the contents are meant to be funny.
The wording of that email is quite small – It said; “I have had developers tell me that you are using the time off to prepare you witch costume and broom for Tuesday night. Any comment – for attribution? The spelling error was mine.
On November 20th, there is a response from the city manager. Portion of that letter appear below. The complete letter is appended at the bottom of this article.
Despite the actions taken by the City, those actions appear to have been ineffective in preventing your further harassment of female staff. On the 30th of October this year, I was contacted by the Director of Planning and Building, Ms. Tanner, who provided me with a copy of an e-mail that you had sent to her that was both offensive and misogynistic in nature. Ms.
Tanner was very disturbed by your action in this regard. The City simply cannot and will not permit you to continue to harass our staff and in particular our female staff.
As a direct result of your actions, I have decided that the restrictions placed on your access to City Hall functions and contact with staff pursuant to the Trespass to Property Act as set out in my September 8, 2016 correspondence will continue indefinitely with two modifications as highlighted below.
This second banning is indefinite which I did not believe the city had the right to do.
I kept the correspondence from the city to myself and the small group of advisors I had put together. When Councillor Lancaster posted a comment on the Facebook Burlington News in September that I had been banned from city hall I decided it was time for me to tell my story and to make the letters from the city public.
The Lancaster comments are set out in part 2 of this series. I filed a formal complaint with the Integrity Commissioner because I believe Lancaster published information she got from a Closed Session of city council
I had already engaged a new lawyer who wrote the city. I had to borrow the $5000 retainer the lawyer required. His hourly rate was more than my disposable income for a month.
When the first banning notice was put in place I struggled to figure out what it was I had done to merit the action the city manager had taken. I had done nothing.
When I was given the second banning notice in November of 2017 – this one was for an indefinite term, I finally had some evidence. An email – sent as a humorous Halloween joke was all the city had. They decided to define it as misogynistic and sexual harassment. It was nothing of the kind. The city manager was going to use whatever pretense he could come up with to keep me out of city hall and away from staff.
The letter the new lawyers had sent to the city manager got a response; things begin to change; city hall suggested we meet.
More on that change in tone at city hall in the next installment.
Part 1 of a series
Part 2 of a series
Part 3 of the series.
Next: Part 5 of a series – final part.
Apology to Mary Lou Tanner
Complete November 20th, 2017 letter
Salt with Pepper are the opinions, reflections, observations and musings of the Gazette publisher.
 By Jim Barnett
October 15th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Jim Barnett can remember a time when the city had a number of rate payer associations that kept city council on its toes. Now that there is a grass roots organization in place at least three members of the current council is doing everything they can to trash the group and get rid of them.
The term of the current Burlington city council is almost over and this is a good thing. In my opinion there has been little teamwork likely due to a lack of leadership, taxes raised beyond the rate of inflation, and no clear plan for the future. Grow Bold is not a plan, it is an essay on what should be planned.
The root cause for the difficulty we are in was caused by politicians creating a green belt which resulted in Burlington loosing half of its land from development opportunities. They forgot that this created a scarcity of land on which to grow in Burlington and ignored the classic economics that scarcity leads to increase prices, and in Burlington’s case has priced many people right out of the market and put great hardship on those needing “affordable housing”.
 The developers indeed did see the opening – they took the risk and they won. Developers saw this scarcity coming and took advantage of it. They were then given an additional gift with the downtown designated as a mobility hub requiring intensification and the race was on.
The old plan, and in fact the one that is still on the books in Burlington, limits heights of building to four to six stories. Yet even with this regulation the developers have been able to get the planning department to present to council projects with over 20 stories on many occasions. Somewhere the citizens of Burlington lost control of their city and we find our elected council spending all their time blaming the Provincial government and the OMB for the loss of character in the place we live. In my opinion the blame is with them. The new plan, currently at the region for review still needs a lot of work to put meaningful measurements into it and I hope the new council will make its first order of business to put a defensible plan supported by the citizens in front of the region.
I have been a regular delegator, both to the committees and to council for the past six years. I have attended three of the recent debates and read extensively the campaigns, both in print and on electronic mediums. I have drawn the following conclusions.
 Mayor Goldring has decided to double down on his record. If you are happy with the Burlington city tax increases, the plans for the downtown in disarray, and wanting more of the same, he is your man.
 Mead Ward seems to be in sync with the majority of Burlington residents about development and had the right solution to the Pier debacle. However, she seems to end up in a lot of six to one votes. Has she a consensus building problem? Can she provide leadership? Will she be willing to address she staffing problems?
 Wallace does not seem to be part of the current problems which is an asset. His campaign has a lot of good ideas and seems to be more aware that it will take collaboration with the region and the province to find solutions to our ills. If you think he can deliver on that need, read his campaign again.
 Woodruff has some refreshing ideas and rookie naivety. He need seasoning at the councilor level.
While I am at it, If you live in wards five and six, remember your current councilors, Sharman and Lancaster refused to participate in a public debate. Democracy is presenting yourself and your ideas to the electorate. What did they want to hide? Dennison, to his credit, while initially refusing, saw the light and attended most of the debate he was asked to attend.
Our future depends on fixing the parking issues, developing a realistic traffic plan including transit and listening to the citizens. A good start would be to having committee chairs pay attention to what the delegations are saying and realizing when the delegations are being critical of the council and staff they might be right! For starters all the new council should read the file, The Road Diet on New Street versus the people.
PLEASE VOTE!
By Staff
October 15th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
We got a comment from a citizen who had this to say:
“Disrespectful behaviour creates division in our city – whether it’s the mayor taking a cheap shot using the school issue to save his own political skin; or Sean Baird and whoever he’s fronting, hiding behind anonymous 3rd party advertisers.
“We need our civic leaders – whether it’s the politicians (where’s John Taylor?), former politicians ( Walter Mulkewich), the media, business people, community group leaders, church leaders speaking up against disrespectful behaviour to say “Not in our city”.
“If we don’t have community consensus on acceptable public discourse and a willingness to speak out, then Burlington is big trouble.”
 See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. It is time for civic leaders to stand up and say what the city really stands for. That citizen just might be right – we could be in for some really big trouble.
Another question: How is this city going to heal once this is all over?
By Staff
October 15th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
A ward 3 resident answered a knock at her door and found an election candidate. The candidate had been to her door before.
The resident said she couldn’t talk because “I was getting ready to call a taxi to take me to the vets. My cat was so sick. The candidate offered to give me a ride there. Wow!”
This is the Burlington people want.
We have not identified the resident or the candidate; both are identified in the comments section under the Letters to the Editor story.
By Staff
October 15th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
There is an absolutely despicable advertisement being published that links the words spousal abuse with Mayoralty candidate Marianne Meed Ward.
It takes comments made 20 years ago so out of context that it is laughable.
 Using ridiculously small type to identify the advertiser is well outside the spirit of the legislation that approved Third Party advertising. The ad is paid for by one of the Third Party Advertisers – a numbered corporation. The type identifying the advertiser is so small you need a magnifying glass to read it.
Why would the advertiser make a point of hiding the name?
Because they don’t want to know who he really is.
All the numbered corporations that registered as Third Party advertisers belonged to restaurateur Sean Baird
There are three people who don’t want Meed Ward to win: The current Mayor, Rick Goldring, former MP and city Councillor Mike Wallace and hopeful Greg Woodruff.
This is the dirtiest local election campaign Burlington has ever seen.
Are intensification, grid lock, lousy transit and dirty elections Burlington’s future?
You get to decide that on the 22nd.
By Pepper Parr
October 15th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The good people in the Orchard community are going to have a debate and an opportunity, finally, to hear what the incumbent city Councillor has to say for himself.
 The Sharman seat was empty at the ECoB ward 5 debate was empty. He is reported to be attending the Orchard Facebook debate. Councillor Sharman wasn’t prepared to attend the debate for the ward organized by ECoB but he is willing to take part in a debate organized by the community in the dying days of a very controversial election.
The debate will be moderated by Amy Collard, the ward public school trustee who once told the Gazette that she was considering taking a run for the city council seat.
When Councillor Sharman said he would not take part in the ECoB debate his reasons were he knew nothing about that organization: no mission statement, no financial statements, no identified Board members, which is just balderdash. A classic example of being willingly blind.
The event takes place at the Waldorf School at the Halton Waldorf School, 2193 Orchard Road.
The event was organized by the Orchard Facebook Group and taking place at the Waldorf School.
 By Carol Victor
October 14th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
These past few weeks have seen unparalleled examples of nastiness in Burlington’s municipal election campaign.
As a citizen I am disgusted by the lack of respect shown particularly to mayoral candidate Marianne Meed Ward.
People in Burlington are very engaged in this election for good reason. Unprecedented over-development has been the focus of discussion and this issue has materialized in every candidate debate. Many depositions were heard at City Hall to no avail.
In two recent debates, candidates were asked to provide a summary of their platforms. In both instances, the current mayor used his time to personally attack and denigrate Meed Ward who has been his chief opponent re-development.
After the debate, I was shocked to see that the candidate in Ward 3, Peter Rusin had uploaded a disgusting article where he compares Meed Ward with the incumbent Goldring and accuses Meed Ward of being a liar.
 This leaflet was published electronically and delivered to mailboxes in the city. Peter Rusin has been negative about Marianne Meed Ward since 2010. At one point the GAzette had to ask that he refrain from using the comment section of the Gazette. In 2014 Rusin ran for the Office of Mayor challenging Rick Goldring. A printed version of this article was mailed to households across Burlington this week.
 A better understanding about Peter Rusin and his beleifs can be seen in the ECoB video of the Ward 3 debate. This style of politics has no place in Canadian society. There is enough of that elsewhere. We must insist as voters that our leaders have integrity and demonstrate respect during the democratic process.
Carol Victor is a Burlington resident who contributes to the Comments section of the Gazette frequently.
Ward 3 debate.
By Pepper Parr
October 12, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The ECoB debates took place in every ward. The happiest event was in ward 1 where 11 candidates laughed with each other and talked about how each could serve the community.
It was a fun evening – there was laughter and kidding around and serious discussion about the serious issues in the community. It was clear that there were those who were not ready for public office, it was also clear that there were some very good candidates – any one of four would be good council members.
 It was standing room only for the Aldershot community who came out to hear the 11 people running for public office, There were some foolish statements; one candidate committed to giving half his salary away and another who promised to do what he could to get the salary for council members cut by 10%.
Some clearly didn’t understand the issues, others were there to promote their pet issue.
What was pleasantly clear was that they all loved the community they lived in, in a way that wasn’t as evident in any of the other ward level debates.
 ECoB made sure that everyone had a bio sheet that could be used to follow the debate. ECoB made sure that everyone in the audience had a sheet with a photograph and a short biography of every candidate. It was difficult to remember who was who amongst the 11 candidates.
There was an environmentalist who would make a significant contribution to city council thinking were he to be elected.
There was a transportation specialist who could ask Transportation department staff some hard questions.
There was a candidate who has the solid support of the retiring council member – so much so that the current incumbent managed to convince his wife to stand at the candidate’s table at the Burlington Green debate.
The Aldershot candidates were asked where they stood on the question of should the city allow retail cannabis stores. Most of the candidates stepped gingerly around this one – except for the candidate who suggested the stores be permitted – if they didn’t he said, his sons would have to continue buying from the sons of another candidate. The audience roared with laughter
The evening was a little like a large family gathering for some festive occasion and enjoying the company of each other.
One of the biggest concerns in the community was traffic congestion. No one had a solid answer.
Intensification and the loss of retail that gives people a reason to get out and walk to stores that are disappearing. It would be a hoot if Aldershot was chosen by the city as a cannabis store location when the community doesn’t have an LCBO location or a beer store.
 Tyandaga Environmental Coalition has managed to get their concern about further development of the quarry on the public agenda. The plans the Meridian Brick company has to extend their shale mining to the third cell on the east side of the quarry got more mention than that problem has gotten in the two years the Tyandaga community has been asking for a change in the 30 year plus license the company has from the provincial government.
What was surprising was that there wasn’t even a mention of the Beachway that was once a lively almost self-contained community that is in the process of being taken apart one house at a time.
 There is a long term development program for the Beachway. It didn’t get a single mention during the debate. The people of Aldershot were pretty clear about LaSalle Park, which happens to be owned by the city of Hamilton. Some wanted it to be part of Burlington. One candidate thought the city should buy it for $1. Burlington currently pays rent of $67,000 and covers all the maintenance costs.
 Restored by Aldershot residents, owned by the city of Hamilton. The city manager was tasked with negotiating a purchase agreement with Hamilton – they didn’t like what the city was offering.
The Mayor recently suggested that Burlington should annex Waterdown which probably means Hamilton won’t be sending Burlington any Christmas cards and certainly soured the relationship we have with that city.
The candidate who wasn’t aware that half of a council members salary came from the Region probably won’t have to worry – not likely to get elected. It would help had the candidate known where the Regional Council meets.
Aldershot has several solid choices – trust them to pick the person that will ensure that not just the needs of the community will be served but that whoever they elect will be able to see the bigger picture. Burlington is going through a critical phase of its longer term development – it is vital that the city get it right this time.
 The 11 candidates running for the Ward 1 city council seat.
By Pepper Parr
October 14th, 2108
BURLINGTON, ON
It was thee last debate for the Mayoralty candidates – this one hosted by the Chamber of Commerce.
All the debates put on this year have been broadcast and available to the public. That is a plus. The Gazette’s raison d’etre is that an informed community can make informed decisions. It is nice to see the other media catching up.
With each of the debates running an hour and a half – few are going to choose to hang in for the full show.
Our job is to watch all this stuff. As we watched the Chamber of Commerce debate a few things became really clear.
 Candidates at the Chamber of Commerce Q&A. Everyone was polite with Greg Woodruff making some very penetrating comments. Tim CCCC moderated. Of the four candidates: Rick Goldring, Marianne Meed Ward, Mike Wallace and Greg Woodruff – Woodruff was the one who had ideas and cogent comments. Again and again his comments put the question being asked into clearer focus.
.
Meed Ward was clear on her approach: Stop doing what we have been doing; it isn’t working and it won’t work.
 Goldring seems to need to fudge and fuddle his numbers. He continues to say that the tax increases were equal to inflation. Just not true Your Worship. The only part of the tax bill city council controls is the city budget and for the past seven years the city has been putting out a budget that asks for 4% more each year – and that that isn’t sustainable.
Should Goldring be re-elected he is going to have to bite that bullet and either spend less or tax even more, which the city has already done. The city asked its citizens to agree to an additional 1% tax levy to cover the city’s share of re-building and transforming the Joseph Brant Hospital. The $60 million that had to be raised and has been raised through a special tax levy should have ended. It didn’t – the city is continuing to collect that money and using it for infrastructure improvements. City council had an obligation to ask the public if it could continue to collect that special levy.
Mike Wallace is depending on his successes on getting federal funds into the city and his “connections” at Queen’s Park where be believes he can be heard. He does have a good idea for the creation of a community that could be built to attract those high tech jobs and also be a place where younger people can afford to live. It was done in Toronto in what is known as Liberty Village. It’s possible but it is a huge task – one well beyond anything Wallace has done in the past.
 He has his eye on a location for this – he has a developer who appears to be prepared to work with him. Wallace doesn’t always say where the land is and who the developer is. The words Wallace is looking for are Paletta and Bronte Meadows at the curve in the road where Upper Middle becomes Burloak is zoned as employment lands. The Paletta’s have been trying really hard to get a zoning change on that property so they can build residential – which is where the real money is.
 Meed Ward has grown as a city Councillor. She is on the wrong end of a lot of 6-1 council votes – she is also on the right end of the more than two dozen changes she brought to the Official Plan debates.
Everyone, except the Mayor took the position that the council we have now hasn’t worked very well. It has been unruly frequently with two members who disrupt, colluding and focus far too much of their energy on hammering Meed Ward. Councillor Craven has decided to retire; Councillor Sharman is running for re-election.
The existing Council was split with Taylor and Meed Ward able from time to time to pull in the Mayor and Councillor Dennison.
Councillors Craven, Sharman and Lancaster were continually and consistently opposed to most of what Meed Ward was trying to do.
When asked what the role of a Mayor was Goldring said the job was “to try for consensus” which he said had been achieved with the Strategic Plan and made it sound like it was the bedrock on which the city is going to be built. In the past Strategic Plans have been the four year vision of a council. There is nothing that says a new council has to accept a plan voted for by a previous council.
It is really hard to come up with a decision made by this council that was brought about by the Mayor working with and persuading council to do something.
Mike Wallace said the Mayor has to be an effective leader and to communicate the council’s decisions to the community. Wallace stressed that the job was to collaborate with the other members of Council.
 Woodruff pointed out that there are situations where “you are dealing with bad people” who vilify the person they are disagreeing with – “when that happens all communication stops”. He was quite right – that is what happened to the current city council and the Mayor was never able to bridge the differences and pull the parties together.
Meed Ward did bring disruption to city council. She wasn’t one of those “go along to get along” people. She believed that she understood the will of the residents and brought that understanding to city council where it turned out to be less than welcome. Meed Ward pressed on and paid a very high price – she was on the receiving end of the vilification Woodruff mentioned.
 These are the rural lands north of the Dundas-Highway 407 boundary. The Mayor and Meed Ward agreed on the status of the rural lands north of the Hwy 407 and Dundas Road divide: leave them as they are. Meed Ward said there was an agricultural sector that could be grown, Mike Wallace said the land on the north side of the divide should be developed. Woodruff pointed out that once you develop as much as a foot of land north of the divide – where does it end?
Wallace, who describes himself as the “architect of the current seven member council” believes that the city needs a bigger council. He isn’t wrong but there are complications in creating a larger council.
Currently all members of city council are members of Regional council as well and where, for the ward Councillors, have of their income is earned. If the city adds two members to city council they are not going to become Regional Councillors. Burlington has just seven seats on the Regional Council.
Meed Ward suggests these new members might be seen as Councillors at large – with no ward to represent.
The work load at the Standing Committee is heavy – getting some help at that level is needed. A lot of debate needed on this issue – the incoming council will have bigger fish to fry.
Meed Ward points out that the city is going to have a “new” Council. Two council members resigned and Meed Ward gave up her seat to run for Mayor which means there will be at least three new council members.
She adds that if there is a new Mayor that will mean there could be some 4-3 votes in the future.
There was a time between 2006 and 2010 when Council bemoaned those 4-3 votes. Given the past four years they are looking very welcome.
Cannabis: does Burlington vote to allow commercial operations or does it take a pass on allowing them right now? Meed Ward said yes, Woodruff said yes. Wallace and Goldring thought the city should wait and see what the regulations are going to be.
The views on cannabis are forming along generational lines – same thing seems to be the case for city council.
The debate season is over; what this last debate didn’t have was the intemperate remarks the Mayor made at the Burlington Green and ECoB debates.
Salt with Pepper are the opinions, reflections, observations and musings of
the Gazette publisher.
ECoB Mayoralty debate
Burlington Green Mayoralty debate
Chamber of Commerce debate.
By Pepper Parr
October, 12, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
It is the first step into a new level of development for the city’s main street.
There are those that are comfortable with the development; there are those that love the development (and that isn’t just the developer) and there are those who think it is the beginning of the end of their city as they know.
It is a major part of the election that will get decided in less than 10 days.
 The view from the corner of Brant and James. So what are the optics of the developer beginning the process of converting the ground level space of the building from a restaurant to the sales office for what is going to be known as The Gallery – A Carriage Gate development?
 The view will be a lot different in two years.  The building now has a coat of white paint – we don’t know if that is the base for something more imaginative – certainly hope so.
Politically, we think that some of the candidates wish the developer had waited a couple of days.
But winter weather is closing in and with Climate Change one never knows what the weather will be.
Get that paint on while the weather is decent – and optics be damned.
There are five years of change for this intersection – seven if the development on the other side of the street gets approved.
Change is coming at several levels.
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